Seat-supporting bicycle extension-frame.



No. 739,633. PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903.

G. s. AKERS.

SEAT SUPPORTING BICYCLE EXTENSION FRAME.

' APPLICATION 31mm JAN. 17, 1903.

N0 MODEL Fatented September 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFIGE.

GEORGE SAMUEL AKERS, 0F AMBI'A, INDIANA.

SEAT-SU PP ourmc eioYcLE EXTENsmN-FRAM E.

sPEoIFIcA'rIoN forming part of Letters P e No. 739,633, dated September22, 1903. Application filed. January 17,1903. re: a. 139,425. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE SAMUEL AKERs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ambia, in the county of Benton and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Seat-Supporting BicycleExtension-Frames; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to seat-supporting bicycle extension-frames, andbelongs particularly to that class of devices comprising a framework forattachment to any form of bicycle, the attachment including as one ofits parts a wheel, which, taken with the two bicycle wheels, formspractically a tricycle structure capable of standing by itself anddesigned for carryinga load in addition to the operator.

The object of my invention is the production of an extension-frame ofspecial construction supporting a suitable seat in a particular manner,the frame comprisingthe least practicable number of parts and points ofconnection with the bicycleframe, thereby rendering its attachment orremoval the work of very little time and labor and reducing the cost ofmanufacture of the'in'vention.

I accomplish the object by means of the parts and their associationillustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is aperspective view from the front, and Figs. 2, 3, and 4. detached detailviews of the respectively-front and upper and ceive the projecting endof connecting-bolt 4,2tlreadymentioned. Thisextremityofaxlerod 5 has anangle-piece 7 brazed or otherwise firmly fixed upon it and extending forseveral inches at right angles to the axle-rod. By means of a suitableyoke-clamp 8,"embracing the angle-piece -7 and the adjacent leg 9 of therear fork 3, the end of the axlerod is rigidly secured to the bicycleatthat point, and it constitutes a continuation laterally with respectto the bicycle-frame of the connecting belt or axis of the rear hub, asshown. The remaining end of the axle-rod 5 possesses asuitably-journaled wheel 10, and the rod may be made of any'convenientlength and the wheel of any selected pattern equal in diameter to therear bicycle-wheel.

The inclined members or braces of my invention are two in number, oneleading to the head of the bicycle and marked 11 and the other to therear fork and marked 12. Both have junctions with rod-axle5 near wheel10. These junctions may be permanently welded or edected by clampingdevices, the condition desired being that the inclined members shallhave their outer ends most strongly attached to the rod-axle. The twoinclined members 11' and 12 may be tubular or solid, and the rod-axlemay also be so constructed. I do not confine-myself to either rods ortubes solely.

At the head 2 of the bicycle-frame the forward inclined member 11 isprovided (see Fig. 2) with a head-rest 13 and a prong-clip, the legs ofwhich are referred to by numbers 14-. and 15. Head 2 engages the rest,and the legs of the prong-clip straddle the head and are connected bythe tie 16, which is clamped against the head by nuts 17 and 18 engagingthe threaded ends of the legs of the prongclip. It is believed to bewithin the scope of my invention to vary the construction and form ofany of the clamping devices herein shown and described. Minor changes indetail are called for in different machines.

Fig. 3 illustrates one form of clamp for securing the inner end of therearinclined member 12 to rear fork 3 of the bicycle-frame.

.The end of the member is flattened and has a-terminal bent finger 19. Aclamping-bolt 20 passes through this flattened end and through a shortbar 21, and between this short bar and the flat portion of the member 12the upper tubes of the rear fork are clamped by means of the bolt 20.

A seat 22 of any chosen form is supported upon the rod-axle by acarriage-spring 23 and rests directly upon the ends of a V-shapedstandard formed of flat bar metal. Two pieces of similar bar metal 24and 25 depend from the front of the seat and uphold a footboard fixed tothe edge of the footboard and its upper end connected with the inclinedframe member 11 by clip 30. Vertical footboard suspension-bar 29 isconnected toward the rear with the depending bar 24: by a riveted brace31.

In practice I employ bicycles equipped with motors of any make orwithout other driving mechanism than the customary pedals. The inventionpermits the operator to propel the bicycle while occupying the saddle inthe usual manner, or in the case of a motordriven bicycle he may occupythe seat. The invention is particularly adapted, however, for'thetransportation of one or more passengers besides the operator, theformer oc cupying the seat and the latter the bicyclesaddle.

.I am aware that bicycles have been provided with extension-framesadapted to transport loads, especially for use on railway-tracks, and Ido not claim that feature broadly.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letiers Patent, is-- v 1. In aseat-supporting bicycle extension frame, the combination of the axlerod5, means for securing one end of said rod to the bicycle-frame wherebythe said rod becomes mat a direct continuation of the rear axle of thebicycle, a Wheel 10 revoluble on the outer end of said axle-rod, aseat-spring attached to the said axle-rod, a seat supported by the saidspring, a rear inclined brace 12, a front inclined brace, each of saidinclined braces having one extremity secured to the bicycle and theother end attached to the said axle- Vrod between said wheel 10 and thesaid seatspring, a footboard, and footboard-supports attached to thesaid seat and to the said front inclined brace, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a seat-supporting bicycle extensionframe, the combination of theaxle-rod 5 having an'orifice in one end to engage the rear axle of thebicycle, an angle-piece secured to said end and detachable means forclamping the said angle-piece to the bicycleframe whereby the saidaxle-rod becomes a direct continuation of the rear axle of thebicycle, aWheel 10 revoluble on the outer end of the said axle-rod, a seat-springattached to said axle-rod, a seat supported by said spring, arearinclined brace 12, a frontinclined brace, each of said inclinedbraces having an outer extremity secured tothesaid axle-rod between thesaid wheel 10 and the said seat-spring, the said front inclined bracehaving its inner end provided with the headrest 13 and a prong-clipdevice adapted to secure the said head-rest to the head of the bicycle,clamping devices constructed and arranged to secure the inner end of thesaid rear inclined brace 12 to the rear of the bicycle, a footboard, andfootboard-supports attached to the said seat and to the'said frontinclined brace, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE SAMUEL AKERS.

